Juno protein: Infertility Mystery Unsolved

A study published in the Journal Nature reported that scientists have discovered a protein named Juno Protein. This takes care of the fertilization by bringing in sperm and egg interaction. Considered a blessing, this could be used in fertility treatment and treatment procedures can be improvised as this plays a vital role in fertilization of egg. This has been named Juno after the Roman goddess of childbirth and fertility.

Scientists who uncovered this believe that this will help in the fertility treatment and contraceptives. They also added that, vaccines and drugs can be developed to block Juno protein which actually interacts with the artificial protein lzumo1.

Juno protein is found on the surface of the egg and helps the sperm to hold on to it on contact. Further the study has revealed that eggs that do not have this Juno protein on the surface cannot be differentiated or identified because they look normal. When a sperm tries to penetrate it, the one that does not have Juno protein will not have the ability to allow penetration and the sperm becomes sterile. They further discovered that while the sperm attaches itself to the egg, Juno becomes undetectable around 40 min later.

Scientists say that this discovery will help women with infertility issue related to these Juno proteins present in abnormal version. Further the report states that not long ago the equivalent male protein and was undiscovered in 2005 by Japanese scientists.

Gavin Wright, a scientist from the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute in Cambridgeshire informed that identification of these molecules explain the mystery of how sperms and eggs get fertilized and without these interaction fertilization would not take place.

A fertility expert from the University of Sheffield, Allan Pacey said that this discovery will help understand infertility and diagnose them earlier. Similarly it will also be useful in creating new contraceptives for both human and animal.